As treaties and trade agreements are implemented this year, more U.S. companies are looking at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for fresh business opportunities. Fortunately, a whole host of logistics and transportation service providers are laying the groundwork to overcome inherent infrastructure challenges.

Today, U.S. trucking companies face more regulations than any time in history—and they claim this “regulatory tsunami” is putting the clamp on U.S. productivity. During this session shippers will gain a better understanding of the current state of trucking regulations (HOS & CSA) and the impact they're having on capacity and rates.

Filed in Retail

Tuesday, July 01, 2014

With the deadline for labor contract negotiations between ILWU (the International Longshore Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association arriving aft midnight last night, the parties are expected to keep talking in an effort to reach an accord.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Commerce reported that April retail sales at $434.6 billion were up 0.1 percent compared to March and up 4.0 percent compared to March 2013, and NRF said that April retail sales, which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants, were flat on a seasonally-adjusted and sequential basis, while seeing a 4.7 percent unadjusted annual increase.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

As reported here in recent weeks, the Retail Industry Leaders Association has long been championing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). RILA’s vice president for international trade was in Singapore for the talks with the twelve countries, meeting with negotiators and other stakeholders this week and issued another ringing endorsement.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Metro Post, an initiative rolled out by the USPS in December 2012 in San Francisco that serves as a package delivery service providing customers with same-day delivery from participating locations within a defined location, will cease operations on March 1, according to a report from the USPS Office of Inspector General. But that does not mean the effort is squashed permanently, as USPS continues to go forward with Metro Post in New York.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Even with tangible signs of an improving economy, it still stands to reason that consumer spending-which represents roughly two-thirds of all economic activity-remains the linchpin of GDP growth, which happens to have shown decent gains over the last two reported quarters.